Red meat and Riley talk in Indianapolis

Lex, the impeccable waiter, asked this crowd of diners at St. Elmo Steakhouse whether any of them would be interested in fish and there was not a sound. Carnivores all, we talked Rileys at the downtown Indianapolis institution, founded just before Riley began distributing its Tri-Car, in 1902. From left to right, in the photo you can click on to enlarge, are Bill and Doni Amis, of Norman, Oklahoma; Dave and Ellen Norton, of Saline, Michigan; in the foreground Mabel and John Thompson, of Webster, New York; just above Mabel with the scarlet shirt and broad smile is James “Mac” McMahon, of Lewes, Delaware; the tall fellow just right of Mac, grinning widely, is yours truly, John Riley, club President, of Los Angeles, California; the dapper gentleman next to me with his hand on his beautiful wife Bonnie’s shoulder is Bob Bryant, of Fairland, Indiana; the couple to the right of the Bryants are Jim Tulk and Amy Roedl, of Downey, California. Jim is a car fanatic new to Rileys and new to Amy and learning both fast. To the right of them is the First Lady of The Riley Motor Club Of North America, Judy Riley, my wife of a little more than 46 years.

We had expected Sandy Turner, our host member from Indianapolis, but he was unexpectedly held over in a sales meeting in Williamsport, New York, and arrived back in Indianapolis a couple of hours after this photo was taken. He joined us the next morning with the green drophead his father bought new. Health emergencies forced the last minute cancellations of Jim Harris, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, Kathy and Ken Nelson, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and my doppleganger, John H. (for Henry) Riley, of Mobridge, South Dakota. We missed them that night and the next two days we missed Jim’s saloon Chester, the saloon of Kathy and Ken Nelson and the drophead convertible of The Other John Riley.